Commentary: My digital detox success showed me that banning social media isn’t the answer, but it’s a start

In 2018, I got frustrated with my addiction to Facebook. Inspired by books about removing bad habits like Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit and James Clear’s Atomic Habits, I “quit” Facebook, signing out of it on all my devices and deleting the mobile app.
I was surprised at how well my digital detox worked. I didn’t reinstall the Facebook mobile app for the next five years. 
But fixing problems related to the overuse of social media is not as simple as my own experience makes it sound.
When the Australian government on Sep 10 announced plans to set a minimum age limit for children to use social media, the backlash from critics was swift. 
Such a decision is “reckless”, said Daniel Angus, director of Queensland University of Technology’s Digital Media Research Centre. 
In a LinkedIn post, he wrote: “This knee-jerk move … threatens to create serious harm by excluding young people from meaningful, healthy participation in the digital world, potentially driving them to lower quality online spaces, and removing an important means of social connection.”
The ban comes “a generation too late”, said Bloomberg columnist Catherine Thorbecke in a Sep 16 piece. “The reality is teens today are very much growing up online, a trend accelerated by the pandemic,” she added.
Other experts said that it would be difficult to enforce a social media ban, which is why the Australian government is first spending A$6.5 million (S$5.7 million) to investigate age-verification technologies. The government has yet to decide the cut-off age, and is considering a range between 14 to 16.
On the other hand, there appears to be broad support for such a ban. A June 2024 survey of over 1,000 people in Australia by Essential Media showed that 68 per cent were supportive of increasing the age limit on social media platforms from 13 to 16. 
As a parent who helped my two children (now aged 21 and 19) navigate the social media landscape, I understand the concerns from both sides. 
I previously wrote that parents need to lead the way in restricting social media use and screen time for children. I am also sceptical of any blanket social media bans, as such restrictions can probably be circumvented by tech-savvy youth. 
But the Australian government’s drastic move is a recognition of the fact that it can no longer be passive about the harmful effects of excessive social media use. 
It also sends a much-needed signal to the rest of the world, including Singapore, that neither can we. 
On Sep 19, the Institute of Mental Health and the National Healthcare Group shared their findings that young people in Singapore who spend more than three hours daily on social media are more likely to experience symptoms of depression, anxiety and/or stress. 
But it is not as if young people are unaware of the problem. 
In an August 2024 survey of 1,006 Americans aged 18 to 27 (aka Gen Z), over 60 per cent of respondents said they recognised the harm that social media causes to society, and nearly half wished that social media platforms like X (Twitter) and TikTok did not exist. 
Most interestingly, 57 per cent of respondents supported the idea that parents should restrict the access to social media for children under 14! What would the critics of the Australian government say to this? 
Social media companies have started to react in response to the growing calls for stronger regulation. 
On Sep 17, Meta introduced “Instagram Teen Accounts” where restrictions are automatically applied to teens below 16. For example, teens can only be messaged by people that they follow or are already connected to. Parents or guardians need to approve any change to these default settings. They can also set daily time limits for app use and view who their teen has messaged in the past week.
Such features are long overdue, but do not adequately address the deeper issues of social media. For example, will this prevent young people from developing a distorted view of the world from posts that perpetuate a fictional lifestyle? Will it protect them from cyberbullying by strangers who hide behind nicknames? 
Moreover, can we rely on Meta, TikTok or X to change their algorithms to decrease use of their platforms, when their business is driven by user and revenue growth? 
The truth is, a ban may not work. After all, many people have embarked on “digital detoxes” only to find themselves still shackled to their devices. 
Why did my own Facebook detox work?
First, we need to recognise what triggers us to use social media. It can be boredom, a desire to peek into people’s lives, the dopamine hit of getting likes and so on. 
Then, we need to remove easy access to social media. Mobile apps were designed to provide instant access and gratification. Making them less addictive starts with making them less accessible.
Last, we need to fill in the time with alternative behaviour. Instead of doom scrolling, what if you used the time to exercise, spend time with loved ones, upskill yourself or just appreciate the beauty of nature?
Staying off Facebook gave me the time to reflect on how and why I was using it, and I gained clarity about how social media platforms shapes my behaviour.  
Try this little exercise after you read this: Sign out from every social media account and delete every social media app from all your devices for one day. Yes, just one day. 
During these 24 hours, you will probably feel withdrawal symptoms, so ask yourself what is it that you are craving for. What kind of content are you missing? Who are you trying to get in touch with? 
Then ask yourself: What is it about the content that attracts me? Can I find it somewhere else? Can I contact my friends through other means? How much time did I free up from not using social media for a day? What other activities could I spend the time on instead?
After 24 hours, you are free to reinstall your social media apps. But before you do, consider if you can hold off for another day. And another day. 
Building a healthy understanding of and relationship with social media does not require government policy, going for classes or someone nagging at you to get off your phone. While the debate rages on about age limits and regulations, we can take control of our time and resist the algorithm that keeps us scrolling endlessly. 
So, care to ban yourself from social media for a day? 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ian Yong Hoe Tan is a strategic communications lecturer at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University. He has more than two decades of experience working in the media and technology industries.